Let's Dish - August 2025

If you've talked to me in the library, you know that I am a huge fan of movies and TV. Something else I'm very passionate about (and need to make an excuse to do more) is cooking & baking. I love trying new foods and recipes and sharing that with loved ones. With this blog series, you get to come along for the ride. So, let's dish!

August is National Sandwich month and I love a good sandwich, so it seemed fitting to review a cookbook featuring sandwiches.

Did you know, that while the sandwich takes it's name from John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich? How this came to be is widely debated: a rumor started in a travel book at the time that the Earl would have his servant bring him meat between slices of bread during long hours spent gambling. His historian, however argues that his commitments to civil service meant that it's more likely he consumed the dish at his desk.

In either case, while Montague is the namesake for the dish, it's true invention isn't known. Forms of fillings between bread have been part of many different cultures throughout history.

On to the book! This month I chose Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich by Owen Han. It features a wide variety of sandwiches from breakfast to dessert. Owen is a content creator who uses his social media platform to share his sandwich making. His recipes are often inspired by his Italian and Chinese heritage.

Like most cookbooks I've reviewed here, this one starts with some of the kitchen equipment, tools techniques, and ingredients you might want to have on hand. He also briefly talks about his tech setup for social media, how he captures the videos for his content.

Once again, there are so many recipes I found throughout the book. Usually this is how I determine which book to use. I want something that has variety, that I might have interest in revisiting. First, if I'm deciding a while ahead of time which book, this helps so I can pick a recipe that sounds good at the time of cooking. Also, I think having a book with a lot of recipes I think sound good means it's more likely that others will get something out of it too.

The first recipe I made was the OG Steak Sandwich with caramelized onions. I'll be honest, I did not make aoili, I'm happy with a standard mayo most times. This is a pretty standard steak sandwich, nothing crazy, just simple. The day I made the sandwiches, I had a friend over for their birthday, so it was perfect dinner before cake. It takes time, with the caramelized onions, but it's so easy.

Next, I made the Breakfast Croissant with tomato jam. I loved the jam. Again, this is a simple recipe, it just takes time to make one ingredient. I will often make caramelized onions for things and I think the tomato jam recipe will be added to that go-to list. It was simple but so flavorful. It added just a little something to a fairly common breakfast sandwich. I ended up eating both sandwiches I loved it so much.

Again, there are plenty of sandwiches in this book I want to try at some point. One I might try soon is the Piri-Piri Chicken Sandwich. Piri-piri (or peri-peri) sauces is an African chile-based condiment. It became more commonly well-known in recent times because of the popularity of South African restaurant chain Nando's in the UK.

If you love sandwiches and want to try a variety of mostly simple-to-make recipes, I recommend this book!